Vending-machine.



A. TOWERS.

VENDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION rum) OUT. 17, 1907.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

' finvcntor Patented Dec. 15, 1908.

CV c:\ mfi awwo w ms. obwwwt. W ammes? witnesses A. TOWERS.

VENDING MACHINE.

urmonron 211.31) 00111, 1901.

Patented Dec. 15, 1908.

2 SHEETS-SHEET Z Witnesses f m QAAXEA K'Q VV YOWGVEa. 777 W Whoa lllld FATE??? ll 'fJE.

VTEND ENG-MACHINE No. eoeeec.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Dec. 15, 1908.

Application filed October 17, 1907. Serial No. 397,765.

. To all when; it may concern:

. subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, and a resident of Toronto, in the county of York, Province of Suturio, and Dominion of Canada, have invented a new and useful Vending-lllaihine, oil which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to machines adapted to he secured to the backs of seats, chairs and benches of public conveyances and places of public amusement, for the purpose of vending confectionery and other small. articles; and the object of my improvements is to provide means of this kind which shall occupy little space, which shall have a co1n paratively large receptacle for the articles to he vended, and which can he cheaply constructed.

My invention consists in a nove article receptacle, and discharging means "for the articles to be vended. It consists further in novel operating niechanisn'i for the article discharging mechanism.

In the accompanying d rawings, Figure l is a front view and Fig. 2 a view of the vending machine. Fig. 3 a view of a oundle ot' confectionery adapted for this um.- chine. Fig. is a .i'ront view of this niachine with the cover removed. Fig. 5 is a cross section of the case on the line 5 5 of Fig. 2. Figs. 6, 7 and 8 are vertical cross sections on the lines 6 6. 7-4 and 8-8 of Fig. l, respectively. Figs. 9 and 10 are. details of the operating; zneclninisn'i.

Similar reference characters refer to lilo..-v parts throughout the several vinws.

fhe particular machine illus 'atcd in the drawings is primarily intended to delher a ackage or bundle of small cakes in" choco ate or other confectimiory upon Lhe insertion of a ickel five cent piece. It de signed to mid three of these pzuthages or bundles in its receptacle and is also so designed that coins or blanks of less e or weight than a. nickel will pass through Without operating the i'i'iechanisiu. The slot through which the coins are introduced into the machine is of such dimensions that no disk larger than a nickel will enter. The

two (Fiece case of this mechanism is cone pose of a plate bent. to term the hack 1, left side 2 and right side 3. The upper edge of the back has ears 4 of a lllZlgB. formed on it. A front 5 having corresponding ears 8 of a hinge is pivoted at the upper edge of the back, and its edges are grooved to it the edges oi the les as shown in Fig. 5. This prevents lhc front being pried oil and tampering with the mechanism and contents. Holes '4' through lhc hack admit screws by means of which the machine can be attached to the hack of a seat, chair or to any other desirable object. .r lock 8 is mounted at the lower edge of the front and engages the pin 9 secured to the hachl.

At the upper end of the front plate 5 is a slot 10 to admit the coin, its size being such that no coin larger than desired can be introduced.

Secured to the hack the coin chute 11 for directing or conveying the coin to the operating nieclmnisin. The operating mechauisin comprises a. shaft 12 having an operating knob 13 at its outcr end, and a series of connected sleeves. The shaft. 12 is journaled in the side 3 and a screw ll which enters its outer end is jouri'inlcd in the side A. spring 15 on this shaft near the side 3 is adapted to return it. to normal position. The shaft has a slot- IHS to receive the coin a screw 17 mounted near its lniddlo point and a slop pin 18 near the operating knob.

The receptacle for the articles to he vendod is a tubular vase, preferably rectangular in cross section. and having the hack 1 ot the case for its back, sides 22, and front 24. The front is slill'cd. and the resulting tongues and 20 are bent outward to form supports for the discharging mechanism which consists ola sleeve journalcd in those supports, and a heat plate :23 secured lo said sleeve and normally Training a bottom for llli" .ri-r- -plaole. The upper end oi the plate Pins carried by the supp; Elu' ,aiov rancid. o1 the pin .18 and of shall. l2.

l udr-r normal conditions, there is no connection lwtwccu the shaft l2 and the sleeve which carries the discharge plate 28. his connection is supplied hythe coin and tho cool-Ming mechanism, elevations of which arr slunvu in Figs. 4-, (i, 7 and 8, and a plan in Fig. 9. ills will he seen in Figs. 4 and (3, the coin will slide down. the chute 11 and strike the thin loaf spring 32, which spring is secured to the hack of the chute. If of the requisite weight. the-coin will push down the end of the spring and pass down into the 16 in the she-ft. The shaft now being turned to the right 8), if coin is in the slot 16, the operating mechanism will be actuated to drop the plate 28. If the coin is not, of the requisite weight, it will rest on the end of the spring 82, in the chute. The shaft now being turned to the rear, the wire arm 33 secured thereto will engage the finger ill on the spring 32, pushing it back. This will release the coin, permitting it to drop onto the shaft 12, but the slot being turned out of its path, the coin will side off toward the front and drop into the bottom the case.

Secured to the hack 1 and 37 which form hearings for the short sleeves or thimhles and 39 of the operating mechanism. A cross bar 40 has ewl plates ll and 4:2 which connect to the sleeves 38 and 39 respectively. The her also has shoulders 43 and upwardly projecting tongues l4.- and 45. The tongue d l extends towardthe shaft 12, so that. when the sleeves and bar 40 are turned under the action of the shaft, it forms a guide for any coin that may he dropped into the chute after the 0pcrnting mechanism has been turned, thus preventing the coin from lodging at the wrong rn place.

ine distance between the shoulders ell is such that the proper coin will lodge there (see dotted line, Big. Al), while a coin of less diameter will pass through. A disk of 'lollil while heavy enough to pass the spring 35 he, 12? not of proper diameter will pass between these shoulders.

V] hen e proper coin posses down through the slot 16 of the shaft and lodges between the shoulders 4 3, it will still PIOJCCl? into the slot. When the shaft is turned, the coin will engage the tongue 45, (Fig. 6) and swing the cross bar e0, the plates ll and l2 and the sleeves and 39. is second plate 46 on the opposite side f the hearing plate 31, and a third plate l? on the sleeve 27 are connected to the plate l2 by means of screws as shown in l igs. l, 8 end 9. As the door plate 28 is connected to the sleeve 27, it will open at each turning of the knob 13 whenever proper connection made by means of a. coin or other dish. The sleeves and plates are returned by means of the spring 29; i

To release the coin, it is desirable that the 12 first return to normal position. To permit this, the sleeves are held from return of s ing held pawl 67 on the screw l-S. ll. finger .9 on adapted to engage in a notch Secured to or formed integlttl with thr wl is an arm 51 in the path of the screw on the shaft 1 f hen the knob turned'to the rear after the insertion of s proper coin, the sleeves 1 all turn with it, the bottom of the receptools will open, on the finger e9 will travel ing by mounted tl 'olete on of this p are the frames 36 sconce along the pawl 67, pushing it back until the finger reaches the notch 50. The pin 18 on the shaft will engage the upper pin 30 about the some time. Upon being released, the shaft will return under the tension of the spring 15, thus carrying hack the coin from between the shoulders 43, permitting it to fall out of the slot 16. Further travel of the shaft will bring the screw 1'? against the arm 51, pressing it back together with the pawl 67, thus releasing the finger 49 and permitting the spring 29 to return. the parts to normal position. v

The articles vended are of considerable size, being indicated in dotted lines. in Fig. 7. A pin 53 carried by the spring 29 pro jects into 2 small hole in the front wall of the receptacle, and when the spring is depressed by the turning of the sleeves, the pin will be forced in. as indicated by dotted lines in 7. The pin will engage the package next above the lowest one, preventing it from falling outof the receptacle when the plate 28 swings out. Any desired combination. of deliveries can be etlected by the position of this pin with relation to.

the articles to be vended.

Pivoted on the side of the receptacle is a. lever 56, having an arm 5'5 normally engaging the rticles in the receptacle throiigh an opening 58, under tension of the light spring A. plate 60 at the upper end of the lever is adapted to project across the slot 10 and prevent the complete introduction of a coin when the absence of on article to be vended rmits the spring- 59 to swing the lower end of the lever into the receptacle through the opening 58. See dotted lines Fig. l.

Having now explained my inventioi what I claimas new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a. vending machine, the combination receive the articles to be vended, a shaft mounted. in said casing, a sleeve surroundinq i said shaft and a. plate. mounted on said sleeve forming the door at the lower end. of said. receptacle, cross bar mounted for movement concentric with said shaft so that said shaft may swing said cross bar, and connec ions between said cross bar and said sleeve.

2. In a. vending machine, the combination of a. casing, a receptacle ,mounted therein idepted to contain the articles to he venom, she-ft mounted in said casing, a. slewe mounted concentrically with said .rl -itt, a. door mounted on ssid sleeve and d to normally close the lower end of said receptacle, n eons connecting said shaft and sleeve, :1 spring secured to said receptacle and adapted to normally hold the door across the bottom of the receptacle, and a pin mounted on said spring and adapted to door swings away from the bottom thereof and thus prevents said article-from falling out of the receptacle.

3. In a vending machine, the combination of a casing. a reeeptaeletherein,a shaft revo lubly mounted in said easing, a sleere'mounted eoneentriealtv with said shat't', a door for the bottom of said reeeptaele mounted in said sleeve. eonne ting means between said sleeve and shaft, whereby said door may be operated b said shat't. and pan'lsto hold said door in open position and means under the control of said shaft tor releasing said pawl and door.

I. In a vending nnrehine, the combination of a reeeptaele. a reTolnble shalt adjai'ent thereto, a sleeve revolnble thereon, a door for the reeeptaele mounted on thesl1a't't,eonne tin; means between the door andshat't whereby said shaft. may operate the door, means to hold the,door iiropen position, and means eonneet'ed to the shaft for releasing the door.

5. In a vending maehine, the combination of a easin and a reeeptaele therein adapted to receive the articles to be vended, a shaft mounted in said casing, a sleeve loosely mounted on said shaft, a door for said receptaele mounted on said sleeve, a spring to normally hold the door in closed position, connecting means whereby said shaft may swing said door to open position, a awl to hold said door in' open position, 1ll'l( means eonneeted to said shaft for releasing the pawl.

tt. In a t'ltf.llllg machine, the combination of a reeeptarle, an operating shaft, a sleeve revoluble thereon, a door for said receptacle eonneeted to said sleeve, a spring tonormally hold the door in closing, position, and connet-tine means between said shaft and sleeve wherehlv said shaft may operate the sleeve,- the sleeve being returned by the spring.

In testimon whereof I have signed this speeitieation in the presenee of two subscribin; nitnesses.

ALDERTON 'IOVVERS. In the presence of I). M. BROWN, Enwano N. PAenLsi-m. 

